Ellis l



(No Mode.)

E. L. ROWB.

VALVE.

Patented Mar. 17. 1896.

awww/nto@ UNITED STATES PATENT EETCEa ELLIS Il. ROWE, OF TROY, NEV YORK,ASSIGNOR TO TI'IE RENSSELAERI MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,695, dated March17, 1896.

V Application filed March 5,1895.

To f1/U whom t may concern:

13e it known that I, ELLIS L. ROWE, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaerand State of New York, have invented certain' new and useiulImprovements in Valves; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which forin part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in valves such as are described in myother application for Letters Patent iiled herewith, when such valvesare arranged in a horizontal position; and the object of this inventionis to prevent choking or jamming ot the gates iu the casing orobstructions forming on the ways or tracks which will prevent theopening and closing of the gates, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained.

The invention therefore consists in the novel construction andcombination oit' parts hereinafter set forth in the claims, anddescribed in detail as follows.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section throughthe horizontal valve. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2 2, Fig.l. Fig. 8 is an edge view of the gate.

The valve-casing is made of two partsAA bolted together, thetormerhaving the bronzefaced seats a, and at top and bottoni of thecasing are bronze ways or tracks C @which guide the gates E E in theirreciprocating or sliding movements in the casing.

The gates are moved back and forth in the easing to close or unclose thewater-passage by a threaded stem F, on which is a nut G having flangesfitting corresponding recesses in the opposed faces of the gates. Theseparts are constructed substantially as described in iny applicationaforesaid and need no vfurther description herein.

The gates E E are mounted on a pair of rollers F5 F5 having axialtrunnionsffgvhich enter corresponding sockets e in the opposed faces ofthe gates, the wheels coming between the gates and running upon thelower bronzetrack C, as shown, so as to support the gates thereon. Asthese gates are of great weight in large valves t-he utility of thewheels is evident, but I do not broadly claim the wheels.

Serial No. 540,611. No model.)

To the upper edge of the gates is secured a bronze guide-plate E', whichmoves close to the upper track C and is of such length that it willeffectually prevent the gates rotating on their own axis in case theyshould encounter an obstacle on. one side or the other, such as abarnacle or lump of rust. As the sliding movement oi' the gate continuessuch an obstacle would tend to cause the gate to roll and thus bind thenut on the stein, and in some cases has resulted in bending orbreakingthe stein or nut, thus rendering the valve worthless. Guides Epreventing the gates rotating they must either push the obstacle asideor stop without jamming or injuring the stein.

On the outer end of valve-stem F is a bevel gear-wheel F,\vhich mesheswith a bevel-pinion F2 on a stub-shaft F3, journaled in a casting Nattached to the outer side of the casing, so that the stein may beoperated by a shaft at right angles to the stein when the valve isburied below the sulfate of the earth.

It will be observed that below and around the valve -seats is a cavityII, which is necessary in order to allow the gates to properly iitagainst the seats. In this cavity the lower track C lies. Naturally thiscavity becomes a trap for catching and retaining silt, sand, dao.,carried in the water. Experience has proven that in nearly alllocalities, particularly near the great lakes, the silt deposited by thewater becomes very hard, and with ordinary valves this deposit graduallyincreases until the gates are choked and rendered inoperative, as gatesmounted on rollers in the ordinary way, or rolling gates simply packdown this silt, and eventually the deposit becomes so thick and hardthat the gates cannot be operated.

At each side of the rollers it will be 0bserved are secured bronze plowsor Scrapers J, which are fastened to the gates and run very close to thetrack O, and are so shaped that they will cut off any deposit of silt orsand on the track and thus keep it continually bright and clean inadvance of the rollers. The lower ends y' of the gates plow up thedeposits as the gates are opened or closed, and the upturned depositswill be swept through the valve by the rushing water-current. Thus IOO ltherollers always move on a clean track and have no opportunity ofrolling and packing the silt so as to render the valve unmanageable.

The gates are provided with interlocking pins and sockets E2 VE3 ontheir opposed faces so that they will be kept together at all times, andif one should break loose from the nut G it will be operated through theother gate.

The plows or scrapers J are, I.believe,wholly novel and of greatimportance as demonstrated by actual experience.

Having thus described my'invention, what I therefore claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is-` 1. In a horizontalvalve, the combination of the casing, ythe gate therein, the tracks uponYwhich the gate is supported and moves, and

plowsV or Scrapers, one at each yside of: and moving with the gate,adapted to clear the track inadvan ce of the gate, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

2. In a valve, the combination of the casing, the sliding gates therein,the .rollers carrying said gates, the tracks for said rollers, and aplow or scraper at each side of the supporting-rollers'forl cleaning`the tracks in advance thereof, substantially as and for the purpose setforth;

3. In a horizontal'valve the combination of the casing, the slidinggates therein, the track. intermediate the gates, the rollers betweenthe gates and supporting them on said track, and the plows attached tothe gates in advance of Vand behind the rollers, for the purpose andsubstantially as described.

fi. In a valve, the combination of the casing, the upper and lowertracks therein, the sliding gates supported on the lower track, and thedevices for reciprocating` said gates; with a plow or scraper secured tothe lower sides of the gates for cleaning the lower track Y in advanceof the gates, and the guides attached to the upper sides of gates movingbeneath the upper track and adapted to prevent rotation of the gates,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a horizontall valve the combination of the casing, the upper andlower bronze trackssecured therein intermediate the gates, Y

the sliding gatesmoving on opposite sides of said tracks havinginterlocking lugs and sockets; .and devices substantially as describedfor operating said gate; with the Wheels car rying said gates andrunning on said tracks7 the ltrack-clearing plows attach ed to thegates,

respectively in advance of and behind the wheels, and the guide castingsattached to the upper side'of gatesto prevent rotation thereof,

all substantially as and for the purpose set

